topic Smithfield Farms Closing in Kitchen

Smithfield Farms Closing

Kachina624 — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 01:51:09 GMT

We were just discussing Smithfield Farms on a thread a day or two ago. Today they announced they are closing their plant because so many employees are ill with CoVi19. They warn that the Nation's meat supply is in peril.

"The closure of this facility, combined with a growing list of other protein plants that have shuttered across our industry, is pushing our country perilously close to the edge in terms of our meat supply," the meat processor's chief executive, Kenneth Sullivan, said in a statement Sunday

Re: Smithfield Farms Closing

bushis — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 01:58:42 GMT

I am pretty sure this company is owned by China now.

Re: Smithfield Farms Closing

jannabelle1 — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 02:19:38 GMT

From what I've read, Smithfield Farms has been purchased by a company in China. Please, let's not jump to conclusions here. Not all of our food products come from them. I'm a bit offended that a company would make such a "warning". Why would Smithfield have sold out to a China company in the first place, and why would they now make such a dire warning? I haven't bought a Smithfield product for months and I will continue that. We still have meat products that are raised and processed here.

Re: Smithfield Farms Closing

sunshine45 — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 02:09:18 GMT

@bushis wrote:
I am pretty sure this company is owned by China now.

yes, it is, but the plant is in the USA, the workers are in the USA, and so are the farmers who supply the meat in the USA!

it has also caused a freefall in hog futures.

Re: Smithfield Farms Closing

sunshine45 — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 02:12:22 GMT

by the way, that buyout happened back in 2013.....nothing new.

Re: Smithfield Farms Closing

qbetzforreal — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 02:53:45 GMT

That particular plant is located in South Dakota. The Gov. was allowing people to use their judgement as to the virus. Over 80 workers were confirmed to have the virus.

Re: Smithfield Farms Closing

Snowpuppy — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 02:59:10 GMT

@sunshine45 wrote:
@bushis wrote:
I am pretty sure this company is owned by China now.

yes, it is, but the plant is in the USA, the workers are in the USA, and so are the farmers who supply the meat in the USA!

it has also caused a freefall in hog futures.

Holee Smokes! Pork bellies have tanked -47% in 5 days

Re: Smithfield Farms Closing

Kachina624 — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 03:20:41 GMT

@jannabelle1 wrote:
From what I've read, Smithfield Farms has been purchased by a company in China. Please, let's not jump to conclusions here. Not all of our food products come from them. I'm a bit offended that a company would make such a "warning". Why would Smithfield have sold out to a China company in the first place, and why would they now make such a dire warning? I haven't bought a Smithfield product for months and I will continue that. We still have meat products that are raised and processed here.

@jannabelle1 When Smithfield was American-owned, it was a total disaster. Seemed for a time like there was an exposé about it every other week. Filthy, deplorable conditions where the hogs were raised.

The Chinese bought it and cleaned it up. The hogs are raised in the US and all processing is done here. They make a plethora of meat products.

I think we need to start listening to and heeding dire warnings for a change. Read the full story on the CNN website.

Re: Smithfield Farms Closing

Kachina624 — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 03:25:13 GMT

@qbetzforreal wrote:
That particular plant is located in South Dakota. The Gov. was allowing people to use their judgement as to the virus. Over 80 workers were confirmed to have the virus.

@qbetzforreal Would you believe 240 cases in this plant? over half of all employees.

Re: Smithfield Farms Closing

sunshine45 — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 03:31:19 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
@qbetzforreal wrote:
That particular plant is located in South Dakota. The Gov. was allowing people to use their judgement as to the virus. Over 80 workers were confirmed to have the virus.
@qbetzforreal Would you believe 240 cases in this plant? over half of all employees.

@Kachina624

actually, the plant employs 3700 people. the 240 cases within the plant represent half of the total covid19 cases in that county of south dakota.

Re: Smithfield Farms Closing

wishmoon — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 03:42:30 GMT

Didn't "someone" just unregulate pork plants? Or maybe they're regulating themselves, something like that... I decided then that I wouldn't buy any pork from any large plants.

It's difficult to trust anything lately.

Re: Smithfield Farms Closing

shoekitty — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 03:49:13 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
@qbetzforreal wrote:
That particular plant is located in South Dakota. The Gov. was allowing people to use their judgement as to the virus. Over 80 workers were confirmed to have the virus.
@qbetzforreal Would you believe 240 cases in this plant? over half of all employees.

Shoekitty said: seems like their "judgement" proved not to be very good. Although, I blame the Governor...this was his poor call. The workers needed the money

Re: Smithfield Farms Closing

Carmie — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 04:59:55 GMT

There are a couple of meat processing and meat packaging plants here in PA that are now closed because some of their employees have COVID 19.

There are "heads up" warnings that this will Impact the food supply. It,is happening in many food processing facilities.

Re: Smithfield Farms Closing

stellabystarlight — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 05:25:21 GMT

I live in Westchester County in New York. Many of the meat, produce, fish suppliers to restaurants in our metropolitan area are losing a tremendous amount of business since the restaurants are closed. Now many of these suppliers are now allowing people to buy from them and they will deliver. We have a Next Door group in my area with information that is shared and today a fish supplier to restaurants is now willing to deliver to people's homes. It has been on our local news and these companies are re hiring their workers.

Re: Smithfield Farms Closing

sunshine45 — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 05:39:17 GMT

@stellabystarlight wrote:
I live in Westchester County in New York. Many of the meat, produce, fish suppliers to restaurants in our metropolitan area are losing a tremendous amount of business since the restaurants are closed. Now many of these suppliers are now allowing people to buy from them and they will deliver. We have a Next Door group in my area with information that is shared and today a fish supplier to restaurants is now willing to deliver to people's homes. It has been on our local news and these companies are re hiring their workers.

@stellabystarlight

that has been going around in the baltimore area also. this past weekend one of our favorite restaurants was having their steak wholesaler at their restaurant to sell high quality steaks and other proteins in bundles.

some restaurants that cannot stay in business doing carry out and delivery are selling proteins and other items AND they have their bartenders at work to sell to go cocktails.

Re: Smithfield Farms Closing

January121 — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 06:48:43 GMT

@bushis wrote:
I am pretty sure this company is owned by China now.

@bushis .... yes, it is owned by China for a few years now....I would never buy anything from Smithfield .... I hope all companies in China close for good!!!!

Re: Smithfield Farms Closing

novamc1 — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 11:45:47 GMT

With all the interest in Smithfield Foods, headquartered in the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia, it seems that critics would be interested in learning more about the company than just its China connection.

The company website shows locations of its operations in the U.S. and Europe, and shows photos of its very top executives. Not a Chinese location or an obvious Asian executive appears among the whole bunch.

A Chinese company helped Smithfield through a difficult financial time by buying it, motivated by the growing demand for pork among Chinese consumers.

Smithfield pork is EXPORTED to China, not imported.

If the "world's largest pork producer and processor" ever shuts down, the food supply of many countries (especially ours) would be affected.

Smithfield's tens of thousands of employees and farmers would be thrown out of work. One of our lowest-cost sources of protein would become scarcer and more expensive.

And, most horrific of all, die-hard pork fans would have more limited choices when shopping for their beloved bacon, hot dogs, sausage, hams, pork chops, pork roasts and that delicious Southern barbecue.

Be careful about what you wish for!!

Re: Smithfield Farms Closing

novamc1 — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 12:01:13 GMT

Anyone who has ever been within a half-mile of a poultry processing plant might never touch eggs, chicken or turkey again, either.

Pick your protein poison or live out of your own vegetable garden.

Re: Smithfield Farms Closing

novamc1 — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 12:52:37 GMT

Just heard on CNBC that the South Dakota Smithfield plant represents about 5 percent of the company's business.

That's not a huge chunk but as the virus takes hold in new places and new food companies (and now happening among grocery store workers)..........who knows what the economic and health results will be when it comes to our food?

Re: Smithfield Farms Closing

suzyQ3 — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 16:13:26 GMT

@January121 wrote:
@bushis wrote:
I am pretty sure this company is owned by China now.
@bushis .... yes, it is owned by China for a few years now....I would never buy anything from Smithfield .... I hope all companies in China close for good!!!!

@January121, that's like hoping that a huge asteroid decimates our planet right now.